Unofficial iMessage for Android Works, But Read This Before You Download

Though Apple’s iMessage messaging platform is still confined to the company’s iOS and OS X ecosystems, a third-party Android app has been created, and surprisingly the unofficial app works as advertised. However, though it’s unclear what intent the developer has in mind for releasing the app, it appears that the app is capable of unleashing malware and collecting Apple ID passwords so you probably and likely should stay away from this Android app at this time.

The app or Android being reported by 9to5 Mac is called “iMessage Chat for Android” and is created by developer Daniel Zweigart. An developer not related to iMessage Chat for Android says that the way the app works is that it connects to Apple’s servers as a Mac Mini, fooling Apple into thinking your Android device is an OS X system running iMessage.

However, as reported by the Apple-centric blog, the app also could download and install apps and software in the background without your knowledge. This means that if the developer chooses to be naughty, he could force your Android phone or tablet to download, install, and run a number of malware applications.

Additionally, another concern is that the developer could potentially be harvesting Apple ID user names and passwords. Given that Apple IDs are associated with iTunes accounts, many of which store credit card and other personal information, this could give the developer access to your Apple account.

These are some of the worst case scenarios right now and we haven’t heard from the developer yet as to what the intent or purpose of the app is. Apple is similarly not commented about the app and it’s unclear if Apple will be patching its iMessage system to block this third-party app and prevent Android users from accessing its popular messaging platform.